become mouthy and Nos had knocked him out. Luckily for him, he’s still sleeping.
Heading back upstairs, I shut the basement door and walk into the kitchen. Nos and Dawn are already there, the paperwork still spread between them, as she laughs at whatever he just said.
I grab a bottle of Jack from the side and pour myself a glass, then relax in one the seats at the table. Dawn reaches over and grabs the bottle as Nos gets up and grabs two more glasses, and brings them over. She pours them and they both sip the whiskey as I snort.
“Make yourself at home,” I say snidely.
She grins over at me, reclining with the glass in her hand. “I will.”
“What do we do about the meeting?” Nos interrupts, probably a good thing since it would have only spiraled into another argument.
Dawn grins at me over her glass before turning back to Nos. “Well, Fallen here thinks he can get us a female stand in, then I can just feed off Ray Ray down there, and change into him. Then we go to the meeting, figure out who the fuck The Others are, and kill them all.” She toasts us, and Nos laughs.
“Fucking perfect, vasculo, and what about when they figure out you aren’t him? Or when they try to take the girl?” I point out.
She reaches over and presses a finger to my lips, shushing me. “We will sort that out when we get to it. Now, can you get us a girl or not?”
Pulling away from her, I lean back from her touch before I do something stupid like bend her over the fucking table. “I can get us a girl. I am a man after all,” I tease, trying to get a rise out of her on purpose.
She narrows her eyes on me, and I see jealousy flare there as they flash black before she relaxes in her chair and sips her whiskey. “I’m going to need clothes that will fit me in that body. I’m not wearing his.” She shivers in disgust and I growl at her for ignoring my jab.
She finishes off her drink before placing the glass on the table. “I’m going to chill for a bit before the meeting, then I’ll look through more paperwork. Griffin, make sure you get the girl for tomorrow.” With that order, she gathers the papers and trots away.
Nos throws back his drink, gives me a smug look, and disappears after her. Bastard.
After checking that the sheep isn’t dead, I grab my carving gear and go and set up at the table upstairs. I don’t want to work with his eyes on me, and I don’t want to go upstairs and hear whatever the fuck those two are doing. Spreading out my equipment with gentle hands, I run my fingers over my tools before sitting down and preparing.
I don’t know why carving brings me such peace, but I can lose myself in the wood and designs for hours, in the rhythmic work and the tiny details. For that short period, I forget everything but the piece in my hands. I could do with that clarity and peace right now.
I left a message for a sheep I trust, so I set my phone on the side in case he rings back. I’m hoping he has a girl we can use, he should if the payout is worth it.
Gripping the wood, I clear my head as I try to think of what to carve. I sit there for minutes with nothing coming to mind, which is strange. Groaning, I grab my knife and decide to just go with it, hopefully the design will come to me while I work.
Losing myself in it, I let the space around me go and my mind wanders until a voice has me snapping my head up and blinking at my mate. I’m mad at myself for letting her sneak up on me.
“Where did you learn to do that?” she asks, nodding at the wood in my still hands.
“My mother,” I reply without thinking.
Her eyes widen as she hesitates in the doorway. “I thought you didn’t know your mother.”
I sneer at her, clutching the wood in my hands. “Just because I was created doesn’t mean I didn’t meet the woman who birthed me,” I snap.
She holds her hands up but comes farther into the room, ignoring my anger. “Okay, what was she like?” She grabs a chair and sits opposite me.
I glare at her before I go